I’ll begin by stating the obvious: Getting rid of fat is difficult. Good nutrition, portion control, and working out regularly are great lifestyle habits, but sometimes those are not enough to flatten your tummy, shrink saddlebags, or get rid of that upper arm jiggle. Women and men who come to my Gilbert plastic surgery practice near Chandler, Arizona are looking for ways to lose these stubborn pockets of fat.

But not all fat is created equal. Different types of fat respond to different treatments, and deciding on your best treatment approach involves determining which type of fat is causing your unwanted bulges. In this post, I’ll explain the 4 different types of fat, in what part of the body they typically occur, and the best body contouring treatments for each type.

Fluffy Fat

That soft, jiggly fat that accumulates below the skin, but above the muscle (called subcutaneous fat) tends to develop in women more than men. It shows up on stomachs, hips, thighs, and the back of the arms. Women’s hormones signal the body to keep this lighter weight fat (in case they become pregnant), so it’s often more difficult to get rid of than other types of fat. Putting in extra time at the gym often doesn’t yield the expected results when it comes to fluffy fat.

Best Treatment: Liposuction targets stubborn fat. I often use Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction (UAL), which is gentler than traditional liposuction. UAL uses ultrasound energy to break up the fat, whereas traditional liposuction requires a surgeon to manually break apart fatty tissue using the liposuction wand. In some cases, patients can benefit from nonsurgical fat reduction. CoolSculpting® is completely non-invasive and doesn’t require downtime following the treatment.

Fibrous Fat

This is also subcutaneous fat, but is tougher than fluffy fat. Fibrous fat isn’t easy to shed through dieting and exercise because the fibers that form around and between fat cells make it more difficult for the body to use that fat for energy. This type of fat may begin as fluffy fat, but be compressed by tight clothes and become fibrous. Think of the rolls of fat that develop around bras. That is fibrous fat.

BestTreatment: CoolSculpting is an excellent treatment option for fibrous fat. With various applicators specially designed to fit specific areas of the body, CoolSculpting works by lowering the temperature of the fat cells until they begin to die. The cooling process doesn’t damage skin or other tissues because fat cells can be destroyed at temperatures that are safe for other cells.

Cellulite

Contrary to what many people believe, cellulite is a condition that occurs when fat cells get trapped in the skin’s lower layers. It often has nothing to do with a person’s weight, which is why about 90% of women have cellulite. So losing weight doesn’t significantly change the appearance of cellulite. Only by releasing the bands of tissue that pull on the bottom layers of skin can cellulite be reduced.

Best Treatment: Cellfina® is a breakthrough, minimally invasive procedure that gets long-lasting results. Supported by clinical studies, Cellfina works by precisely cutting the connective tissue using a microblade. The blade is so small that no sutures are needed.

Firm (Visceral) Fat

This is the only fat of the 4 types described here that isn’t subcutaneous fat. Instead, firm fat accumulates below muscles, surrounding internal organs in the abdominal area. This isn’t the fat you feel when you pinch your waist. Because it’s covered by muscle, liposuction or nonsurgical treatments cannot effectively reduce visceral fat.

Best Treatment: Combining exercise and a healthy diet is the best way to reduce firm fat. Unlike subcutaneous fat, visceral fat is relatively quick to respond to lifestyle changes. It represents a significant percentage of the overall weight loss achieved.

The best way to learn how much of your fat is subcutaneous and how much is visceral is by scheduling a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. In most cases, combining a healthy lifestyle with a cosmetic treatment can produce the best results.

Fat Reduction Before-and-After Photos

You can see the results produced by different types of treatments for subcutaneous fat:

CoolSculpting:

Liposuction:

Liposuction:

]]>https://www.advancedplasticsurgeryinstitute.com/blog/the-skinny-on-fat-when-diet-and-exercise-dont-work/feed/0What size breast implants do I choose?https://www.advancedplasticsurgeryinstitute.com/blog/what-size-breast-implants-do-i-choose/
https://www.advancedplasticsurgeryinstitute.com/blog/what-size-breast-implants-do-i-choose/#respondSun, 18 May 2014 05:56:55 +0000http://www.advancedplasticsurgeryinstitute.com/blog/?p=125Continue reading →]]>Choosing an implant should be an exciting part of preparing for breast enhancement surgery. For some it can also be an anxiety provoking decision, hoping not to decide implants that are too big or too small. Every plastic surgeon has their own protocol for choosing implants and I hope to further explain my process and hope to help you make a choice you will not regret.

Most Common Complaint?

More often than not, woman who undergo breast augmentation surgery say “I wish I would have gone bigger.” How does this happen? I think this is partly from choosing the wrong implant but also I believe the image patients are looking for changes after undergoing the surgery.

Many of my patients come in and say “I don’t want to look fake,” or “I want to look natural, just with more breast fullness – like before giving birth to my children.” This general concern for avoiding “too large” of implants can lead some to choose smaller than they are really wanting.

Furthermore, the first 4-6 weeks after a breast augmentation the implants tend to sit high on the chest wall. Concurrent swelling will give the appearance and feel of larger breasts. The overlying skin hasn’t had time to stretch so the person may just notice the implants more often than not. Over the next 2-3 months as the skin stretches and the implants drop into the more appropriate position there is a change, and the implants seem smaller than what they just got used to. I believe this is a major part of why women say they wish they would have chosen larger implants.

“My friend says to go at least 400 because that’s what her friend did and she looks great!”

I hear this all too often. Patients tend to want the same implant size as their friend or based on their friend’s advice to go bigger. This unfortunately leads to some poor decisions and regret. Every woman’s body is different and even their own breasts will differ to some degree. Your rib cage may be wider or breast shape and width may be totally different so even if you both had the same exact implants you can end up with a completely different look. The natural breast size may differ and this also will change the outcome.

My Recommendation?

In my office, the last thing I want is for you to regret going too big or too small. Recently quite a few women have consulted with me to exchange their larger implants with smaller. When I ask how they chose the size they unanimously have said their surgeon chose for them. I feel this should be a joint decision between the patient and doctor as only you know what you want. I’ve been married too long to even attempt at guessing what a woman is really wants. I use the Mentor sizing system which involves using shaped gel implants that are placed in a bra. I recommend bringing a solid color shirt, one that is a relatively tight fit, for your initial consultation to use with the sizing system. Then, looking in the mirror and trying on different size implants, you tell me what size you are hoping for. After taking your chest wall measurements and determining which size you like, we jointly decide what will best fit your body and give you the look you want. I give my personal opinion but ultimately you are deciding the size you want as long as it’s within reason.

Concluding Thoughts:

In conclusion, there are a multitude of factors that go into choosing the perfect implant for your body including: chest wall shape, breast footprint or original breast shape, hip size/shape, your overall goals, activity level in sports and a history of child birth and/or breast feeding. No two breasts are alike and don’t sell yourself short by choosing what size your relative or friend tells you, or even your surgeon for that matter. This is your decision and I only hope to be a resource to help with that decision. Call our office today to set up your consultation.